These comparative sound quality ratings are mainly used for audio electronics: power amplifiers, preamplifiers, CD players and integrated amplifiers.
Some 25 years ago, I adopted the IEC based scale operating from 0 to 10. Zero represented nil fidelity while 10 was assigned to essentially perfect reproduction. Given a sufficiently large and representative group of products, a score of 5 naturally became the group average for sound quality. Such results were self-limiting and self-sufficient for each group test.
Maintaining a historic standard based on such results has proved difficult as equipment continued to improve and the sound quality scores edged inexorably higher towards 8 and 9. The need to differentiate degrees of excellence demanded increasingly finer resolution as this scale was being logarithmically crushed towards that pre-chosen limit of perfection, namely 10.
I solved this problem by removing the barrier represented by ‘scale 10’ and decided that my numeric scores should rise in proportion to the gauged percentage improvement over previous references, many of which are maintained in my own equipment store. These references help immensely in achieving a measure of long term consistency.
Historically, low grade, marginal quality integrated amplifiers score as they always did, at the 5 to 6 point level, while worthy hi fi alternatives attain 12 to 18. Improved power amplifiers lie in the 18 to 28 range, while top of the line references have now reached 40 points and more. Subjectively, weighing all the subjective parameters, including ‘involvement’ – the ability to hold the listeners attention – a 40 is considered to be subjectively ‘twice as good’ as one scoring 20. Appreciating sound quality at these higher levels requires a commensurate performance from all other elements in the chain that is used to evaluate the products.
A further decade of commercial endeavour since the sequence began has taken the scoring to a present maximum over 150. Nevertheless a superb score such as this cannot fully account for individual taste and how good a match might be achieved with a given partnering system. Thus the intending purchaser’s own discretion, judgment and experience will still be required to make sense of these sound quality scores. A number of historic and interesting products are included in the listing for reference purposes.
Auditioning begins with preliminary trials, an extended running-in and warm-up period, plus informal trials with the partnering system, exploring the more obvious aspects, and seeking complementary combinations of audio components to see how to best understand the quality of the DUT, the device under test. Different shelves, platforms or feet can assist, while other important aspects include cables overall, including mains cables. An amplifier may sound bright with a given speaker and cable set. This is useful information but if other aspects of its potential are to be fairly assessed it is worth trying to fine-tune the system first. Preliminary descriptions of sound quality are developed in this phase.
The second stage involves powering up reference amplifiers, checking levels and absolute phase, and making comparisons, comparing and contrasting the many dimensions of sound quality. With reference scores pre established for the comparison products an idea of the special and overall merits of the DUT can be established. At this stage, given some practice, it fairly easy to determine a difference score for the test products.
The mental framework is one of percentages. If, when compared with a familiar reference which has a long established sound quality score of 30, the DUT is subjectively about 50% better; for example a balance of deeper soundstage, better reverberant field, sharper focus, more rhythm and listener involvement, crisper bass, sweeter treble, higher resolution, and these and other aspects are all weighed in the balance. On this basis the new product is rated 15 points better than the chosen reference and thus gets 45 marks. This will be a provisional score because one further step needs to be taken.
Such subjective ratings inevitably have embedded in them the musical sensibility of the listeners, and here the test bias leans more to the involvement and entertainment aspects of sound reproduction, and where a beautiful sound and a big focused soundstage alone will not score at the highest level if the sense of drama, dynamics and rhythm is also unduly diluted.
It is unfortunate that there are many nice sounding products on the market where the designers have unduly focused on beauty and detail and seem to have quite missed the point about musical performance; these designs are good at reproducing the notes but fail to show the musicians working as a team.
If Hi Fi reproduction is rendered elegant but boring then we all might as well pack up now, as we inexorably head towards Musak performances, hastened by the advancing dissemination of MP3 lossy coding and its ilk.
Consider that the final published score could be regarded as artificial, an illusion since you are unlikely to hear this full potential at a dealer, and will only hear it at home if you take the product to the practical limit. So there is a third stage in the judgement process which concerns powering down and disconnecting, and ideally physically removing, all the comparison and redundant source components from the test system. The DUT is now operated alone, free of unnecessary supply interference, digital noise from other components, physically well supported and located, in as optimal a system match as can be practically achieved. At this point a final sound quality score is confirmed, following extended listening with a variety of program and program sources, the best that could be optimally achieved.
Device Under Test (DUT) | Rating |
---|---|
Accuphase DP70v cd/pre | 33 |
AMR777 | 47 |
Arcam CD192 | 15 |
Arcam Solo on CD | 16 |
ARCAM SuperDAC FMJ D33 | 35 |
Audio Analogue Crescendo | 28 |
Audio Note Cdt Three II Black DAC 5, signature version | 53, 75 |
Audio Note Level 6 transport, Level6 power | 425 |
Audio Note Level 5 DAC Level 5, Force Power | 400-450 |
Audio Synthesis DAX | 46 |
Audio Synthesis DAX Decade | 50 |
Audiolab 8000 CDP | 15 |
Audiolab M-DAC | 70 |
Audioquest DragonFly Mk1 | 45 |
Aurender W20, fully locked to DCS Scarlatti | 200 |
Bel Canto CD-2 | 23 |
Benchmark DAC2 HGC | 38 |
Boulder 2020 Dac | 32 |
Burmester CDP 089 | 65 |
Cambridge Audio DAC Magic 100 | 130 |
Cambridge Audio DAC Magic Plus | 110 |
Cambridge Audio CD1, 1987 | 14.5 |
Cambridge Audio Sonata NP30 | 50 |
Cary 300 CD | 26 |
Chord DSC 1500 DAC | 35 |
Chord QBD76 | 35 |
Classe DAC 1 | 26 |
Creek Classic | 22 |
DCS Elgar DAC: HD, CD | 48,38 |
DCS Scarlatti when fully clocked | 200 |
DCS Puccini DAC - Transport CD, filter 2 | 93 |
DCS Paganini | 135-145 |
DCS Puccini DAC - Transport CD, direct | 120 |
DCS Puccini U Clock on SACD direct | 135 |
DCS Puccini U Clock direct sacd, filter 3 option | 150 |
Denon 700CDP | 12 |
Exposure ClassicXXII | 45 |
Exposure MCX | 75-90 |
Krell MD10 - 64DAC | 43 |
Krell KPS 20i | 48 |
Krell KPS25cx | 50 |
Krell KPS28 cd | 35 |
Krell 300i CD | 28 |
Krell Connect / DAC | 160 |
Lampizator DAC Generation 3 Level 4 | 60-80 |
Linn Sondek CD12 | 42 |
Linn Karik Numerik CD | 17 |
LINN Akurate DS CD, streamed HD | 80,120 |
Device Under Test (DUT) | Rating |
---|---|
Marantz CD 65 SE | 12.5 |
Marantz CD-7 CDP | 50 |
Marantz CD 17 KI | 22 |
Marantz CD60 SE | 15 |
Marantz CD 85 | 14 |
Mark Levinson ML30 DAC-Transport | 45 |
Meridian 602 CDT | 23 |
Meridian 203 DAC | 25 |
Meridian MCD mk1, historic score | 8 |
Meridian 808i.2 Reference Signature, direct | 125/135 |
Metrum Acoustics Octave | 185-210 |
Metrum Acoustics HEX balanced output | 195 |
Micromega CD 10 | 20 |
Moon Equinox RS | 20 |
MSB Platinum Signature IV | 200-240 |
MSB DAC, provisional rating 2008 version | 55 |
Muse Model 9 CD | 30 |
Musical Fidelity V90 | 150 |
MytechStereo 192 DSD | 90 |
Naim CD 5i | 14 |
Naim CDS2 | 50 |
Naim CDS3 | 78 |
Naim CDX2.2 XPS2 | 56 |
Naim CDX2.2 | 45 |
Naim CD 555 | 89 |
NAIM NDS,555PSDR | 300 |
Naim Unitiserve SSD | 225 |
Naim Unitiserve HDD | 250 |
Naim DAC, XPS2 | 90 |
Naim DAC | 72 |
Parasound Z DAC | 34 |
Resolution Audio OPUS 21 | 40 |
Rega DAC | 55-60 |
Rega Apollo | 28 |
Rega ISIS | 82 |
Resolution Audio Cantata streamer | 70 |
Rega Saturn CDP | 29 |
Revox B226S CDP | 9.4 |
Sony 337 SE CDP | 12.5 |
Sony SCD1 CD/SACD | 38 / 55 |
Sony 557es | 11.5 |
Vertex AQ Aletheia | 250 |
Wadia 16 | 43 |
Wadia 860 | 45 |
Wadia iDock 170 | 10 |
Wadia 7/8 T /DAC | 47 |
Weiss DAC202 | 65/ 75 |
Zanden 3 box CDP | 105 |
Device Under Test (DUT) | Rating |
---|---|
AMR AM -77 | 55 |
Arcam A38 FMJ | 23 |
Audionote Ongaku (uk 2005) | 45 |
Audiolab 8000s 1990s | 15 |
Audiolab 8000a (original) | 8.2 |
Audio Research VSi-75 | loudspeaker dependant 65-85 |
Ayre AX-7e | 30 |
Cambridge Audio Azur 840 | 6 |
Conrad Johnson CAV 50 | 35 |
Creek Destiny | 33 |
Creek Evolution | 23 |
Croft Polestar | 16 |
Cyrus 6 | 12.5 |
Cyrus 8 | 14 |
Dartzeel CTH-8550 | 150 |
Denson Beat 100 amplifier | 17 |
EAR 859 (int.) | 25 |
Electrocompaniet EC1 -3 | 14 |
Gamut Si 100 | 34 |
Ikon Audio Stereo Three Hundred | 10 |
Jolida JD502BRC | 33 |
Krell FBI | 63(PA), 58 (int.) |
Krell KAV 300i | 22 |
Krell S-300i | 45 |
LFD (load dependant 40) | 60 |
Device Under Test (DUT) | Rating |
---|---|
Musical Fidelity A1 (Original) | 15 |
Musical Fidelity A 1000 | 20 |
Musical Fidelity XT-100 | 28 |
Naim NAIT orignal recapped | 26 |
Naim NAIT 5 | 31 |
Naim NAIT 5XS | 36 |
Naim Supernait | 48 |
Naim Supernait HI-Cap | 64 |
Naim Nait5 XS (Flat Cap) | 35 (45) |
Naim Supernait 2 | 77 |
Naim Nait5 XS Flat-Cap | 45 |
Pathos inpol remix | 39 |
Pioneer M9 | 11 |
Plinius 9200 disc/line | 18/20 |
PS Audio Trio C100 | 10 |
Pure Sound A10 | 25 |
Pure Sound A30 | 23 |
Rega Elicit R | 45 |
Rega OSIRIS | 27 |
Roksan Kandy IIIL | 20 |
Roksan Caspian | 26 |
Rotel RA 820B X2 | 9.5 |
Sugden A21 Series 2 | 16 |
Unison Research S6 | 30 |
Unison Research P40 | 30 |
Device Under Test (DUT) | Rating |
---|---|
Audio Note Kegon SE ( WE300B) | 40 |
Audio Note Ongaku (2005, load dependant) | 55-85 |
Audio Research D120 | 19 |
Audio Research MA100 | 18 |
Audio Research M300 | 16 |
Audio Research SP11 Mk2 | 15.5 |
Audio Research D115 II | 11 |
Audio Research D25 | 18 |
Audio Research M 300 | 14.5 |
Audio Research VT 150 (SE) | 28 (29) |
Audio Research D400 | 18 |
Audio Research D120 | 19 |
Audio Research Classic 120 | 20 |
Audio Research VTM200 | 28 |
ARC D125 | 18 |
ARC REF 150 | 185 |
Audio Research REF D110 (check loading) | 133 |
Bel Canto SET 80 | 23 |
Bel Canto e.One REF1000 | 10.5 |
Bully Sound BSC 100m provisional | 130 |
Bully Sound BSC 60s provisional | 180 |
Cary SLP 70 Power | 16 |
Cary 572 SE | 35 |
Cary 300se LX20 (fixed bias) | 50 |
Cary 300se LX20 (auto bias) | 38 |
Cary 805 c (load dependant) | 45 |
Cello Performance power amp | 12.8 |
Channel Islands D100LGR | 13 |
Classe CA 201 | 17 |
Classe CA 200 | 20 |
Conrad Johnson Premier 8a | 38 |
Conrad Johnson MV125 | 18.5 |
Conrad Johnson MF 2300 | 22 |
Conrad Johnson MF 2500 | 22 |
Conrad Johnson MV55 | 23 |
Conrad Johnson Premier 140 | 35 |
Conrad Johnson LS70 | 38 |
Conrad Johnson MV60se [EL34] | 35 |
Conrad Johnson MV60se [6550] | 40 |
Conrad Johnson Premier 350SA | 110 |
Cyrus PA 7 monos | 24 |
D'Agostino Stereo power amplifier | 210 |
DNM PA3s | 33 |
Edge NL 10 Mono | 37 |
Electrocompaniet AW 250 power | 17 |
Exposure MCX | 100 |
Flying Mole DAD -M100 proHT mono | 20 |
Goldmund Mimesis 3 power amp | 16 |
Halcro DM 38 | 33 |
Hot Tubes JD1 | 50 |
Jadis JA 30 power | 15 |
Device Under Test (DUT) | Rating |
---|---|
Jadis JA200 | 16 |
Karan KA S270 power | 36 |
Karan KSA 450 | 80 |
Krell Evolution 402 original | 75 |
Krell FPB 650m | 55 |
Krell FPB300 (original) | 33 |
Krell FPB300 Mk2 | 39 |
Krel PfPB400CX | 78 |
Krell FPB 400 | 65 |
Krell FPB700cx | 100 |
Krell KMA 100 II | 14 |
Krell KSA 100s | 21 |
Krell KSA 80 | 17.5 |
Krell MDA 300 | 23 |
Krell KSA200s | 19.5 |
Krell KST power | 19.5 |
Krell KAS-2 | 30 |
Krell Evolution One | 130 |
Krell FPB600 | 45 |
Krell KSA150B | 20 |
Krell KSA 50 | 9.7 |
Krell KMA 160 | 21 |
Krell FPB 400cx | 75 |
Krell Evo 402e | 145 |
Krell Evo 402 ( later series) | 120 |
Krell KAS 2 | 31 |
Mark Levinson ML 20.5 | 16 |
Mark Levinson ML 333 | 22 |
MSB Platinum 200 mono | 145 |
Muse 175 power | 17 |
Musical Fidelity A370 | 15.3 |
Naim NAP 200 provisional | 80 |
Naim NAP 250 classic | 29 |
Naim NAP 300 ( 2013) | 130 |
NuForce 8.5V2 | 9 |
Pro-Ject Amp Box | 5 |
Quad 405 | 7.3 |
Quad 202 | 10 |
Quad 303 | 6.5 |
Quad 606 | 8.5 |
Quad II Classic 2009 | 18 |
Radford STA 25II | 12 |
Robert Koda K-70 | 185 |
Sharp 1 bit SM-X100 | 15 |
Spectral DMA 50 (pre 1990) | 15 |
Sunfire 300W | 14 |
Tag McLaren 100X5R stereo | 17.5 |
Technics SE-A 3000 power | 12 |
VAC Phi 200 stereo mode | 130 |
VAC Phi 200 as monoblocks | 180 |
Device Under Test (DUT) | Rating |
---|---|
Aesthetix Rhea Phono | 38 |
Aesthetix Calypso (26 with NOS valves) | 20 |
Audio Music R-S (Balanced) | 125 |
Audio Research LS 7 | 28 |
Audio Research SP10 | 11 |
Audio Research LS5 II | 21 |
Audio Research LS 15 | 25 |
Audio Research LS 9 | 24 |
Audio Research LS 15 | 25 |
Audio Research LS 2 | 25 |
ARC SP11 II | 15.5 |
Audio Research LS 8 | 20 |
Audio Research PH 1 | 22 |
Audio Research LS 22 | 30 |
ARC REF 2 Phono MC/MM | 155mm 145 mc |
Audio Research LS 3 b | 25 |
ARC REF 2 line | 57 |
ARC REF 3 | 115 SE,130 Bal |
Audio Research REF 5 SE | 205 SE, 225 Bal |
ARC REF 5 | 160 SE, 175 Bal |
Audiolab 8000p | provisional 25 |
Audiolab 8000c pre | 11 |
Audio Note M8, Audio Note M10 | 48 (aux in) |
Audio Note M-9, Audio Note ANS -9 (MC Phono) | 160 |
Audio Note ANS-4 step up | 65 |
Audio Synthesis Passion (Vishay) | 36 |
Audio Synthesis Passion Ultimate (remote) | 31 |
Audio Synthesis Passion | 30 |
Aurorasound Vida | 70 |
Boulder 2010 | 28 |
Bryston BP26 | 16 |
Cary pre SLA 74P phono/line | 16 |
Cello Palette | 16 |
Cello Audio Suite Pre | 15.5 |
Classe CP 65 | 35 |
Concert Fidelity CF-08LSX-2 | 150 |
Conrad Johnson EV1 | 30 |
Conrad Johnson CT5 | 90 |
Conrad Johnson Premiere 15 | 45 |
Conrad Johnson ART | 57 |
Conrad Johnson ART II | 68 |
Conrad Johnson ACT-2 (mkII) | 105 (110) |
Conrad Johnson Premier 7 | 36 |
Conrad Johnson 17 LS mkI | 46 |
Conrad Johnson 17 LS -II | 44 |
Conrad Johnson PV 14L | 24 |
Conrad Johnson PF-R | 22 |
Conrad Johnson Evolution 20 | 20 |
Conrad Johnson Motif (line) | 23 |
Conrad Johnson Premier 16 | 49 |
Device Under Test (DUT) | Rating |
---|---|
Conrad Johnson Premier 14 | 39 |
Conrad Johnson Premier 16LS | 49 |
Conrad Johnson Premier 18 | 28 |
Conrad Johnson Sonographe fet pre | 15 |
Conrad Johnson 18LS | 30 |
Conrad Johnson PV10 B | 28 (line) |
Creek OBH -15 MM, MC phono | 35, 19 |
Creek OBH 22 passive (load sensitive) | 39 |
Creek OBH 21 Headphone amp | 40 |
Cyrus Phono (PSU) | 28(35) |
Edge Signature one (battery) | 37 |
Electrocompaniet EC3 | 18.5 MC, 22 line |
Exposure MCX | 98 |
Halcro DM10 | 22 disc/26line |
Jadis JP 30 (original series) | 14 |
Klyne sk6 | 13.5 |
Krell Evolution One | 120 |
Krell Evolution 202 | 70 |
Krell KSP pre | 21 |
Krell KRC-2 | 22.5 |
Krell KCT 28 | 28 |
Krell KPS 28 | 35 |
Lehmann Audio Silver Cube | 26 |
LINN Uphorik | 98 |
Mark Levinson No 38s | 33 |
Mark Levinson ML 26 | 20.5 |
Musical Fidelity MVX pre | 12 |
Musical Fidelity MVT | 13.5 |
Music First Reference Bal/SE TFR | 180 |
Myryad MP 100 pre | 15 |
Naim Prefix mc phono | 45 |
Naim Superline mc phono- Hi-Cap | 120 |
Naim Superlinemc phono Supercap, Supercap DR | 145, 190 |
Pink Triangle PIP pre | 18 |
Plinius Koru | 15 MM/MC |
Pro-ject Tube Box SE II Phono MC, MM | 45,45 |
PS Audio GCPH | 15 |
Roksan Platinum Phono Reference DXP SE | 45 |
Roksan Platinum PR15B | 20 |
Stevens and Billington transformer passive | 33 |
Tag McLaren DPA 32 | 19 |
Thrax Dionysus | 135 |
Thrax Orpheus | 225 |
Townshend Allegri autotransformer | 230 |
Townshend Glastonbury Pre 1 SE AutoTFR | 195 |
Trichord Dino Mk2 MC phono | 29 std supply, 33 NC supply |
Van Den Hul Grail MC phono | 65 |
XTC PRE II | 80 (line) |
YBA Pre 1 | 15.5 |
Device Under Test (DUT) | Rating |
---|---|
Abbey Road Reference | 28 |
Abbey Road Monitor | 25 |
Audio Quest CV-4.2 | 55 |
Bell Wire' ( 5m ) | 8 |
Cardas Golden Reference | 90 |
DNM Precision | 43 |
Gamut Wormhole Signature | 55 |
Kimber Monocle XL (single wire version) | 40 |
Kimber Black Pearl | 110 |
Kimber KS 3035 | 72 |
Kimber KS 3038 | 95 |
Kimber 8TC SE | 72 |
Microphonic Audio 'Reference' | 21 |
LFD 'Loudspeaker', flat copper ribbon cable | 50 |
Nordost Frey | 35 |
Naim NACA5 | 105 |
Nordost Heimdal | 30 |
Device Under Test (DUT) | Rating | Transparent Reference XL mm | 100 |
---|---|
Transparent Reference XL mm2 | 155 ! |
Transparent Reference MM | 96 |
Transparent Music Wave Plus | 69 |
QED Silverline Anniversary XT | 17 |
QED XT 400 | 12 |
Russ Andrews/Kimber Crystal 24 | 47 Kimber spades |
Russ Andrews/Kimber Crystal 24 | 52 WBT 4mm |
Tellurium Blue | 20 |
Telluirium Black | 23 |
Van Den Hul Royal Jade | 28 |
Van Den Hul Super Nova | 35 |
Van Den Hul CS122 ( better at longer lengths) | 31 |
Van Damme Classic 2x1.5 mm twin axial | 14 |
Wireworld Atlantis 5 | 42 |
Wyrewizard Dreamcaster bi wire | 31 |
Yter (best below 4 m length) | 85 |
Device Under Test (DUT) | Rating |
---|---|
Abbey Road Reference | 28 |
Abbey Road Monitor | 25 |
Audio Note Pallas SPDIF | 93 |
AudioNote SOGON 42 | 80 |
Audioquest Diamond USB | 75 |
Audioquest Forest | 110 |
Audioquest Carbon USB 1.5m , 5metre | 67, 35 |
AudioQuest King Cobra | 27 |
AudioQuest Sidewinder | 24 |
AudioQuest Diamondback | 30 |
AudioQuest Columbia, dc bias | 34 |
Belden cat 5 UTP | 120 |
Belden Cat 6 UTP | 130 |
Belden Cat 7 | 165 |
Bell Wire' (1m) (single strand) | 11 |
Brilliance HI FI Synergy | 32 |
Cardas Clear USB | 47 |
Cardas Golden Reference | 130 |
Cardas Golden Cross | 115 |
Chord Silverplus 5m USB | coiled 70, uncoiled 90 |
Chord Sarum SPDIF | 85 |
Crystal Cable Piccolo | 43 |
DNM Precision | 45 |
Furutech GT-2 USB | 82 |
Kimber USB-Ag Blue | 80 |
Kimber Silver Streak | 60 ( WBT connectors) |
Kimber 'USB' | 73 |
Kimber Timbre | 30 |
Kimber Tonik SD | 95 |
Device Under Test (DUT) | Rating |
---|---|
Kimber Tonik | 33 |
LFD Silver interconnect (Oct 2008) | 85 |
Meicord Cat6 UTP | 150 |
Monster Interlink 400 mk II | 20 |
Naim 75ohm BNC Digital | 120 |
Nordost Blue Heaven | 43 |
Supra USB 2m | 70 |
TCI Tiger II | 30 |
Transparent Reference XL mm | 120 |
Transparent Reference XL mm2 | 145 |
Transparent Reference MM | 110 |
Transparent Reference SPDIF digital | 110 |
Transparent Music Wave Plus | 64 |
QED Graphite USB 3m , 1m | 36, 40 |
QED QNEX 3 | 23 |
Russ Andrews/Kimber Crystal-Cu | 50 |
Van Den Hul The First Ultimate | Digital used for SPDIF 75 |
Van Den Hul The First Ultimate | 115 (note significant electrical resistance) |
Van Den Hul The Name | 35 |
Van Den Hul the Hill | 32 |
Van Den Hul The Mountain | 53 |
Van Den Hul The Second | RCA 45 |
Van Den Hul Integration | 105 |
Van Den Hul The Second , (Balanced only) | 80 |
Van Den Hul Orchid | 36 |
Wireworld Platinum Starlight USB | 70 |
Wireworld Equinox 5 | 45 |
Wyrewizard Dreamcaster | 25 |
Wyrewizard Enchantress | 45 |
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